Interdisciplinary research project has embedded conductive liquid metals into stretchable fabrics, to create surfaces that are not only functional but also tactile, adaptive, and visually refined.
Named Soft Interfaces, the year-long research in flexible interactive surfaces has been led by Lukas Werft and Christian Dils from Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration IZM, and Robin Hoske and Felix Rasehorn from experimentary studio WINT Design Lab.
The team embedded conductive liquid metals such as Galinstan into stretchable fabrics to create an interactive lamp with a textile screen that reacts to the gentlest of touch. By stretching the fabric, the cross-section of the liquid metal pathways changes. A subtle shift that the system reads to adjust light temperature and intensity. This intuitive, touch-based control hints at a new generation of human–object relationship. Beyond the lab, the team believes Soft Interfaces could shape operating systems for cars, transform home textiles into responsive surfaces, or bring new levels of sensitivity to medical products.
So-called Liquid Metal Dispensing (LMD) is still a lab-stage technology. Since taking it to product development had never been attempted, research into creating precise conductive paths, encapsulating the liquid metal, building functional circuits, and integrating them into custom-knit textiles was necessary.
Spending time in the lab, the team gained understanding of the technology’s potential and constraints. They experimented with a variety of patterns and textile structures, pushing the limits of what it could physically achieve. For the final prototype, the team advanced their manufacturing processes to new levels of scale and precision, delivering what they describe as a one-of-a-kind, highly sensitive textile screen.
In the project, WINT explored how the sensitivity of liquid metal sensors could be translated across different application fields. The result is a lamp whose light can be modulated directly through touch, offering haptic precision and nuanced tactile feedback. The textile design was developed in collaboration with case studies, a Berlin-based knit design studio that created and produced the custom yarns and varying surface textures, including an alternating knit pattern subtly marking the interactive zones.
The colour and yarn composition were chosen to complement the adjustable light temperature: under warm tones, the textile evokes the glow of a sunset; under cooler tones, it recalls the early morning light. The textile screen is held within a custom-developed frame that keeps it under perfect tension. The rounded textile disc is positioned to shield the eyes from direct glare while allowing reflected light to fill the interior. The base mirrors the frame’s form and houses all technical components, including cooling systems and drivers, ensuring seamless and responsive interaction.
Smart, integrated conductor tracks created with LMD technology, the team says, can enable soft, tactile interactions, reducing the need for additional screens and extra electronics. Mechanically, these liquid metal tracks outperform conductive yarns and other stretch sensors, while washability and production efficiency show promising potential for scaling.
Fully integrating this technology into automotive interiors, home textiles, HiFi systems, or medical devices could help create products that last longer and consume less energy. At the same time, screenless, haptic interactions encourage more intuitive, body-centered engagement, reconnecting users with the sensual qualities of the objects and environments around them.
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